The path of the snake

by Ramib89

"It is not what we are, but what we choose" Harry Potter decided to give the Slyhterin house a chance ¿Did he make the right choice?

10. The AD and a shameful memory

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After class they went to the library to do some homework, Harry, Ron and Draco were so immersed in reading that they didn't notice that their friend was staring at him. Almost all of his focus was on the scroll he had to give to McGonagall and that he was going to have to go through another writing session with his blood, but he wasn't going to protest he had to suck it up. It would only be a day instead of a week, he could handle it, what bothered him was that they were still not learning useful things, so the few hours he had free he studied everything he could.

-I was thinking...- said Hermione. Maybe we could learn how to fight on our own, you do it all the time, right?-

-Yes, but lately I have only been able to read the theory, I hoped to be able to put it into practice here. But I see that it will not be possible-

-I said... that you should give us classes Harry, learn to defend ourselves against V... Voldemort...- she said almost hesitantly but she said his full name.

-¿Are you kidding?-

-She's right, you know more than you let on. Or am I wrong if I say you've been going to the library with your invisibility cloak and studying sixth grade material and maybe something more advanced?- Malfoy said.

-¿How do you know that?-

-It's what I would do if I had the opportunity. If you want to help us you better teach us some tricks. We don't expect to fight the dark lord and emerge victorious, but at least know enough so that we can defend ourselves against an attack by Death Eaters or some other creature. Fighting without having prepared or studied correctly is suicide- he answered. Harry thought for a moment, his friend was right, Voldemort had his allies. He and Dumbledore would need all the help they could get.

-Okay, I'll give you a crash course. We can find a quiet place for the four of us...-

-I was saying... that you teach all of us, that is, those who are interested in learning too. Luna, Ginny and Daphne would surely want to join in too. Not everyone believes the lies they tell about you in "The Daily Prophet" -

-¿Do you think anyone else would come? Most people think I'm crazy, just like Dumbledore-

-Besides that ¿Wouldn't there be too many of us? ¿Where could we practice? It's not like we have much room here with Umbridge watching us- Ron commented.

-Let's have a meeting outside of school. In Hogsmeade, so we would see how many are interested and then choose a place where we would fit best-

-¿The three brooms?-

-I was thinking of a less frequented place, that other bar where there is less commotion and the drinks are less expensive-

-Wasn't that where Hagrid got the dragon egg?-

-Exactly, that place is famous for having clientele of all kinds. Nobody pays attention to us there, everyone takes care of their own business. I checked the permits and students can enter there, although it is recommended that we bring our own glasses since it is not exactly a neat place to go to-

-The perfect place to commit misdeeds- Malfoy said and the girl nodded. Harry was not very convinced since he always preferred solitude when it came to learning and practicing, but his friend was right, the more they joined, the more chances they would have against the dark forces. That weekend the four of them went to the bar, and ordered some butterbeers, he expected only a couple of students but was surprised to see so many, especially Griffindor like Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, Lavender Brown, Collin Creevey and his brother Dennis, a boy called Michael Corner, followed by Ginny, the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan who always commented on the Quidditch matches, from Hufflepuff there were Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hannah Abbott and lastly from Ravenclaw there was Luna Lovegood, Daphne, Cho Chang (her heart jumped a little when she saw it) and a friend of hers who was laughing like a fool reminded her of her classmate Parkinson when Draco responded well in class and she celebrated him like a cheerleader.

-I thought you only said a couple Hermione-

-Well, let's say that the idea was very popular. I think we are all. Let's be quick, we are here because we want to learn to fight and learn properly, since it is obvious that we will not learn much with the teacher we have here, and if we want to fight against the dark forces and...-she was interrupted by a boy - ¿Yes?-

-Zacharias Smith. I would like to know what evidence there is that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has returned. So far there has been no news in the newspapers and we only have the word of Dumbledore and him-

-We are not here to talk about V... Vol... Voldemort- his friend responded but Harry stood up, he understood why there were so many. Some just wanted to hear his version of what happened.

-Look, if you want me to tell you a fantastic story about what happened that night, you're going to leave disappointed, I'm not here to talk about Voldemort and I don't want to talk about Cedric either. We are here to organize a schedule on how and where we could start studying on our own since it is obvious that the Ministry will not let us learn with that woman-

-¿And why don't they want us to learn?- Dean asked.

-Fudge has a crazy theory that Dumbledore wants to overthrow him and take power and that is why he doesn't want us to know about hexes and attack spells, he thinks he will recruit teachers and students to build an army. Which is nonsense. I understand that on several occasions he has been offered the position of Minister in the past and he rejected it, the director is only interested in teaching-

-And finish his sticker collection- Ginny said and several people laughed. After a while they decided to choose one day a week to practice, as soon as they found a place they would let them know. Hermione asked those interested to sign her name on a list she had put together. There were a couple who had doubts as they feared that the sheet would end up in the hands of Umbridge or some other teacher, but she warned them that it would be safe and those who knew her knew that the girl never joked about safety and rules.

-Well, it was better than she thought, we have already seen that we are not the only ones who are on your side-

-Except for that guy Michael Corner and Zacharias Smith. Quite arrogant-

-Corner only came because he's trying to hook up with Ginny-

What? -Ron shouted -P... but I thought Ginny liked Harry- and he felt a little uncomfortable remembering what his friend's sister felt about him.

-That was before when she just met him. She is no longer the shy girl who stuttered in her presence, it is obvious that she has been focused on her studies and apparently has earned quite a reputation, plus being the first Weasley to be in Slytherin also helps to stand out-

-That explains why Zabinni also wants to ask her out- Harry added and Ron spit out the last of her drink.

-¡You're kidding! I'm not going to allow it! I'm going to...-

-You won't do anything! She's old enough to date whoever she wants and if you knew what she was capable of doing you'd worry more about whoever crossed her path than about her. You'll see it in Potter classes. And if you're thinking of making a scene and embarrassing her in front of her classmates, I'll send a letter to your mother- Malfoy told him, and at that threat the redhead was speechless. He knew that his sister got along well with her partner, but he didn't imagine that They were so united.

-OK OK. I don't promise anything, but I'll try not to embarrass her-

-It's a start. Let's go to town-

-¿For what?" Harry asked.

-Because it would be suspicious if we had gone to Hogsmeade and we didn't buy anything-

-Exactly Weasley. Plus that veiled witch has been watching us for a while, it's very likely that she is a spy. The difficult thing is to know for whom- he told him, moving his eyes towards the left corner, well hidden in the darkness.

-Just like the guy at the other end drinking from the same glass for a while- Ron added to the bearded guy who was pretending to drink from his glass.

-Not bad Weasley, not bad-

---

The next day they saw Filch hanging a painting with Umbridge's signature who used her new status as Supreme Inquisitor to ban organizations or groups unless they have her authorization. It was obvious that someone had talked about the meeting at Hogsmeade.

-I bet it was Smith or Corner-

-You only say it because you didn't like them. It was not one of those who put their name on the list-

-¿How do you know?-

-I cast a spell on the paper before they signed it, if anyone had said something it would have already manifested-

-¿In what way?-

-Let's say that if someone gives us away, their face will attract a lot of attention and not precisely because of its beauty-

-Well, now we just have to think carefully about what... Potter, that's not your owl?- Malfoy told him and when he saw that the animal was moving in a strange way he realized that it was injured.

-¡Archie!-And she ran to assist him, she had some feathers with red spots, and with her paw she held tightly the letter that was addressed to him. He bolted towards where he assumed the Care of Magical Creatures teacher would be so she could attend to her friend. At that moment Professor Mc Gonagall appeared and took him aside from her while the woman checked on her friend. She told him that he should be careful since they were surely monitoring his correspondence and to avoid always using the same communication channel and not to give out names or information that could get him in trouble.

-I used a false name and only mentioned school issues-

-Well, still be careful. You better get back to class, your owl is in good hands and doesn't seem seriously injured.

-He'll be fine- Hagrid's deputy said from her desk while she checked the animal's wing with her monocle. But he'll have to rest for a few days before flying again. I'll still keep an eye on it to make sure-

-¡Thank you!-He said more relieved. His owl and the snake he met before entering school were his first link with the magical world, he had already lost a friend in his second year and he was not willing to do it again. When he returned to his friends they told him that it was likely that someone was trying to intercept his correspondence.

-I'm beginning to understand why Filch accused you of ordering stink bombs by mail. The perfect excuse to review your letter-

-You are right-

-And what does Sirius say?-

-He wants to talk to me through the fireplace tonight, I will stay in the Common Room reading something until he appears-

-Me too- added his housemate. We'll tell you the news later-

The rest of the day was quite boring compared to what happened in the morning, they had Divination class, who was in a bad mood because apparently Umbridge had not had a good impression of her so she gave them extra work on prediction and dream reading to try to improve her image. The fun part was Professor Snape having the supreme inquisitor as a guest asking him questions.

-I understand that on more than one occasion he applied for the Defense Against The Dark Arts position. And he hasn't gotten it?-

-Obviously not- he said coldly. For the first time Ron and Harry shared a small laugh in their class. It was funny to see how the potions professor tried to remain calm in front of the obnoxious woman. "Welcome to my world sir" he thought. That same night they spoke quickly with Sirius, he told them that the witch of the veil was Mundungus Fletcher in disguise, he was watching him on Dumbledore's orders and how he had been banned from the bar many years ago he had to hide.

-Molly screamed when she found out about his plans. She asked me to tell Ron and his brothers not to continue with that and to focus on their studies. "She can't order you, but she still hopes you give up on the idea, sometimes she can be very overprotective," she joked.

-¿Have you heard from my mother? -Asked his friend.

-The last I heard about Narcissa is that she was on an old Black family estate. We used to go there as children in the summer, I don't think they look for her there and the place is well hidden. Don't worry - and upon hearing that he seemed more relieved - Look, I think it's good that you try to learn to defend themselves but you should be more careful and look for somewhere less crowded to practice ¿How about the screaming house? -

-There are too many of us and we wouldn't fit there. Even if we used the invisibility cloaks-

-What a shame, well I'm sure they'll find somewhere. Keep your heads down and...- the flames began to change shape.

-¡Sirius!- he said worriedly. A hand had appeared among the flames, groping as if it wanted to grab something. A hand with long nails, short fingers covered in ugly old-fashioned rings, which he knew all too well.

---

They no longer doubted that Umbridge was watching the fireplaces and the correspondence. They should take more precautions besides finding a place for multiple people. He was so deep in thought that he did not notice the presence of Dobby, the elf.

-¡Harry Potter! What a joy to see you again! Dobby was hoping to find him this time!-

-Hello, I'm sorry it's been so long since the last time ¿How have you been?-

-Dobby has been very busy, cleaning her friend's room, Griffindor hers. The other elves no longer clean there because they know she has been placing hidden items to free them and they don't want to be free. They are very comfortable here, just like Dobby, we like working for the school and for the great Dumbledore. We are proud to serve him and of course, serve you too-

-Glad to see you are happy here- and when he gave him his owl, already healed and cured of his wound, he felt great joy -¡Thank you very much Dobby!- and the bird flew to his shoulder, and hooted in an affectionate tone in his ear -I missed you too -

-Dobby is pleased to see Harry Potter so happy. If the young man needs something else, don't hesitate to ask.

-¿Do you know of any place where many of us students can practice magic without adults seeing us?- and thinking that the elf would lower his head sad for not being able to be useful, it was quite the opposite. He told him about the Multipurpose room, a room that changes shape depending on the needs of whoever summons it. He gave him the necessary instructions to find her and summon her, he just had to concentrate on the type of place he needed and the place would adapt to that.

That same afternoon they called a meeting. Harry went first along with Draco, Ron and Hermione.

-¡This place is huge! We will be perfect-

-¡Look all these books! "Common and advanced curses", "Cheating the Dark Arts", "Self-defense to achieve a good attack" - Hermione commented, reading some books that had appeared there on a shelf.

-I read that one during the start of classes. It's very good- he replied.

-Always wanting to be ahead- the blonde commented. A few seconds after entering, they heard knocking on the other side of the door. When the rest of the class showed up, he thought they would be much fewer than those who went to the first meeting at the bar, but obviously many were still interested.

-Well, now that we're all here we can start ¿Any questions? - and several raised their hands. Dean Thomas asked what the objects on the shelves were - They are snitchscopes and the other thing is an Enemy Reflector, they warn when there are enemies nearby, but you can't trust them too much since they can be fooled ¿Yes Hermione? -

-¿Shouldn't we choose a leader?-

-¡Harry is the leader!- Cho and Ginny said almost in unison.

-I think the same- Daphne commented.

-Everyone should agree- he replied, somewhat blushing. After a few seconds they had already chosen a leader and a name: DA (Dumbledore's Army).

-Perfect, we can start now. We will start with the Expelliarmus charm, I know it is very basic but it is useful-

-¡Oh please! ¿What good will that simple spell do to us? -Protested Zacharias Smith who had already taken out his wand, probably hoping to show off in front of the girls.

-Draco ¿Would you be so kind...? -He said to his friend. The boy smiled and with a quick movement he took out his wand - ¡Expelliarmus! - Managing to disarm that loudmouth.

-¡I wasn't prepared!- He shouted embarrassed.

-This is not a dueling club. In a real fight don't wait for your opponent to play fair, it is always good to keep your guard and also do something unexpected. Well, get in pairs and try to disarm your opponent, you can use a spell to confuse or repel but the objective is to leave your opponent without his wand - and after a while they were all throwing spells everywhere. He thought it was a good idea to start with the disarming spell since some were disastrous. Neville was the one who needed improvement the most, but after the third attempt he managed to cast the spell and disarm Ernie McMillan.

-¡I did it! ¡I did it!- he shouted very enthusiastically.

-Okay, now again. You will see that soon it will be as easy for you to perform it as the Lumos incantation-he told her, giving him that confidence that he needed so much. Ginny was tied against Malfoy, while Ron was trying his luck against Hermione. The girl managed to disarm him easily, making the Slytherin smile when he saw that scene.

-¡Petrificus totalus!- Ginny shouted and her rival managed to avoid it by pure luck.

-¡Hey! It's just disarming-

-If you can no longer move, you are unarmed ¿Right?" She responded with a shrug.

-Good point- and they resumed the duel with the same intensity. Harry continued pacing around the place watching the others doing it. After correcting the Creevey brothers with their posture, he approached where Cho was with her friend. Seeing him, she got nervous and started babbling spells, causing her opponent's sleeve to burn.

-I'm sorry Marietta ¡Reparo!-And she fixed her clothes.

-It wasn't bad- and seeing that the girl raised her eyebrow -Ok, it wasn't good either, but I know you can do better. I saw you from there - and the girl smiled, her friend made a sullen gesture and she walked quite far away from they.

-¿What's wrong with her?-

-She didn't want to come here. Her parents forbade her from going against Umbridge, her mother works at the Ministry-

-I see ¿And what do your parents say?-

-They don't want it to go against the rules either. But they're crazy if they think I'm not going to fight the Unspeakable, not after Cedric... - and she shut up after saying her name.

Harry tried to break the silence -You know, for a diligent Ravenclaw, you're good at breaking the rules-

-And you are too kind...to be a Slytherin- and they both smiled.

-Harry ¿What time is it?" Hermione asked. And when saw the clock she realized that they had been there too long and that everyone had to return to their rooms or they would be punished for being outside the Common Room of their respective houses.

-Okay, enough for today. We must coordinate for next time, it must be a day that does not coincide with Quidditch practices.

-I already thought about it- and Hermione show they several coins from her backpack. Ron's eyes lit up thinking he was going to give them money but she explained that they were fake coins, the serial numbers were synchronized with the origina. They would change to reflect the date and time of the next meeting. The coin will heat up when the date changes, so if you were carrying it in your pocket you will be able to feel it.

-¿Did you do an imitation charm? That's advanced material!- Daphne said-It's weird that you're not in Ravenclaw too-

-The hat was about to send me there, but it chose Griffindor- She said redly.

-Well, this avoids having to send messages or scrolls that could put us in trouble. Everyone take a coin and we'll let you know when the next class is-

-And as Alastor Moody says ¡Permanent alert! - the twins shouted and everyone laughed. They left, secretly so as not to be seen by some prefect or the annoying Filch.

-It has been an interesting first class. Soon they will have improved a lot-

-¿And how did it go with Cho?- Hermione asked.

-We barely talk-

-Enough to see that she likes you too¿Didn't you see how nervous she got when you approached her?-

-¿You think?- He asked excitedly. And both his housemate and Hermione rolled their eyes. Ron was the only one who hadn't noticed, he was busy telling his sister to be careful with Michael Corner and Zacharias Smith.

-You're right Ronald, maybe I should go out with Dean Thomas or maybe Blaise Zabinni, don't you think?

-¿Whhat?!-

-Come on, Heartbreaker, we have to go rest- the blonde said -And Potter, start thinking about what excuse you can use next class to talk to the Chang girl-

---

Despite having had a good start practicing with the DA Harry felt enormous frustration when he was punished by Umbridge who caught him fighting with a couple of his classmates who had made offensive comments about his friendship with Hermione and other members of Griffindor. Apparently a rumor had spread that Harry was helping them improve with defense and had not invited those from his own house, which did not go down well.

-Evidently Mr. Potter has not been punished enough, Professor Snape. And as supreme inquisitor I have the right to take actions- and she showed him a paper signed by the Minister - So I consider it prudent to suspend Mr Potter from Quidditch for life -

-¿Suspend me? ¿Forever? But professor...- he said, looking at his Head of House with a pleading tone.

-I imagine he agrees with my decision. Lucius Malfoy has always spoken well of you-

-Do what you think is appropriate, if you'll excuse me I have to go teach classes. With students who DO listen to teachers when they try to teach them- he replied coldly, looking at him and making a face of disappointment and then he left there. Harry was extremely angry, and the pain from his scar at that moment didn't help either. He had once again dreamed of that long hallway where at the end there was a door and when he could not access it he would wake up with a burning sensation in his head and anger.

He was having breakfast at the Slytherin table, Ginny and Draco were talking about Quidditch plays. He could only think about his nightmares and how he hated the school year and the DCAO teacher more and more. At that moment a piece of paper flew to his plate. When he opened it he noticed Hermione's handwriting that said

"Hagrid is back, he wants to see us this afternoon." "Finally something good" he muttered to himself.

---

As soon as they were able to go to the ranger's hut, he told them that Dumbledore had sent him and the headmistress of Beauxbatons, Madame Maxime, to find giants to convince them to join them and not Voldemort.

-Convince them ¿How?- I understand that they are very temperamental and distrust anyone who is not from their tribe- Malfoy asked.

Hagrid explained to them that they like magic but not when it is used against them, so to make a good impression they sent gifts to the Gurg, who is the leader, who was enchanted with a enchanted branch so that he can arm permanently without the wood breaking. consume, like the spell Harry had learned (although none of them knew it yet). The next day they brought him an indestructible helmet, made by goblins, and there they talked about the current situation.

-¿And what did he answer?-

-Well, he didn't say much, plus he didn't speak our language, so he called someone who did to act as a translator. He said that his name was Karkus and that he knew Dumbledore, who knows that he has always supported the rights of various magical creatures. We thought that we were convincing them little by little and that with the gift we would give them the next day things would continue to improve. But that night the situation turned around. Another giant named Galgomath murdered the chief and proclaimed himself the new leader, although it is not strange at all, they are not made to live together and I imagine that seeing another receive such gifts made his jealousy increase. They fought for hours, we could hear the screams and the sounds of weapons. The next day the snow was red and Karkus's head had been thrown into the lake. But we were not willing to give up, we tried to buy the new boss in the same way, the problem is that we were not the only ones who wanted to recruit them-

-Death Eaters-

-Yes, McNair, the guy who wanted to execute Buckbeak was with others. Meanwhile, we were about to convince those who were not happy with their new leader, especially because of the wounds he inflicted on them. But when the Death Eaters attacked them they kicked us out and told us to never come back. -So that was it, let's hope that some of them remember that the great Dumbledore tried to bond with them and that he was willing to treat them with dignity," he concluded. As they finished their cups of tea he told them that the only thing he found out about her mother was that she had died many years ago, but it didn't affect him too much. Unfortunately the talk was interrupted when they saw that Umbridge was on her way there, probably to question him about where he had been.

-Use my invisibility cloa-" Harry told them and he took a small bag out of his pocket, he put his hand in it and it seemed like it was much bigger inside. Harry had enchanted the object so that inside he could carry many things without taking up space.

-I must remember to do the same with mine- Malfoy commented.

-¿But what about you Harry?-

-There is nothing wrong with visiting the ranger and teacher of Magical Creatures. Besides, she must already be used to seeing me where she shouldn't ¡Quick!-And her friends obeyed while the woman was already at the door and knocked a couple of times.

-I'm coming- Hagrid said nervously.

-Good afternoon, I am Dolores Umbridge, professor of Defense and Supreme Inquisitor by authorization of Minister Cornelius Fudge. You must be Hagrid and...Potter? ¿What are you doing here?-

-I came to see Hagrid. He wanted to know if he would return to teaching or would Professor Grubby Plank continue to replace him. And I also had doubts about what kind of magical creatures we will see later-

-So ¿It's just a visit for academic reasons? ¿Nothing else?- She asked suspiciously.

-Professor Snape gave me a lecture about staying out of trouble and concentrating on my studies. Since I can't play Quidditch at least I can get good grades in class-

-I see you are learning. I'm sure that one day you will understand that everything was for his own good- she told her with a cynical smile. Harry wanted to cast all the curses he knew on her, but he must not let himself be provoked again and just nodded and said goodbye to his giant friend and opened the door leaving room for his friends to escape undetected. When they were far enough away, her friends came out of the cloak and Harry put her back in his bag.

-¡Merlin Harry! That woman is a monster, I don't know how you held back-

-I have already learned the consequences of not doing it. It's a battle I can't win, at least not yet-

-I hope Hagrid does well with his revision. That harpy will look for any excuse to kick him out-

-Let's pray that she is smart enough so that there are no accidents or dangerous creatures-

-I think you ask too much. Anyway, they better go back to the castle-

-¿And what about you?-

-I'm done with all the homework that Flitwick and Mc Gonagall left us. I'll take advantage of being here and go visit an old friend- he told them, pointing with his chin in the direction of the forbidden forest.

-Don't come back too late- said Hermione -I've already done my homework too, so I'll continue knitting hats and stockings for the elves. I must have freed a lot already-

Harry hadn't had the stomach to tell him that only Dobby took the clothes since the other elves no longer went to Griffindor's tower for fear of grabbing something that would force them to be free. But he couldn't continue lying to her -Hermione...none of the elves were left free. Only Dobby does the cleaning in Griffindor's tower. I guess the others send him there because he's the only one who can take a piece of clothing and not follow the rules of his race. I'm sorry,- he told him. The girl was very disappointed when she heard about it, but she was still firm in her decision to want to find a way to improve the quality of life for the house elves.

---

December had arrived and everything had been covered in white snow. They had a lot of homework although Harry got frustrated because few of them were challenging, since he couldn't play Qudditch, he did as much as he could and then started practicing spells on his own.

He was more cheerful now that he knew that Ginny would replace him as seeker since she was very good and Draco would be the guardian of his team, he went to practice a couple of times just to watch them fly and was surprised how well they did. . She could glimpse the Snitch as well as he could, and Draco blocked the Quaffle's entry into the hoops every time someone tried to score.

-Today is the last meeting with the DA before the holidays so I thought we would do something interesting. First you will face each other, you will only use the immobilization and stunning spells, get in pairs and then the winners will go on to face the next ones who have won-

-¿And what's so interesting about that?- asked Zacharias Smith.

-The last two winners will duel and the winner will keep ten galleons- he said, showing the coins he took out of his pocket -They can use all the spells they want, except the unforgivable ones, of course- and at that answer there were many murmurs. Smith told them that he would be the winner, that with what he had learned it would not be a problem for him.

-I want Smith, I can't wait to finish him off since he arrived- Ginny commented to Draco in a low voice.

-Done, leave me Corner. The fool spends more time drooling over you than paying attention.

-¿Are you jealous?-

-You wish- he said, snorting -He is a brainless, barely knows how to hold his wand. If we come to face each other, don't expect me to hold back-

-I say the same- and he gave him a friendly blow on the arm before going after his rival. After a while, several had managed to freeze or knock their opponent unconscious. Harry was very proud of the progress of his companions, especially Neville Longbottom, who had made great progress and now felt more confident in himself, enough to beat Dean Thomas and Padma Patil, but then lost to Hermione.

-Well, it seems that there were only two finalists left: Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger. Well done, however I have decided to make this even more interesting-

-¿How?-

-Both of you will fight me- Everyone was surprised at this change.

-¿Harry, are you sure?-

-Completely Hermione. The Aurors fight several Death Eaters at the same time. We already know how to fight on equal terms, it's time to learn from being at a disadvantage - and then both Hermione and the blonde started throwing stunning and disarming spells at him but Harry blocked them easily. They began to throw stronger ones at him.

-¡Impedimenta!/ ¡Fainting!-

He summoned a shield and blocked both attacks. Then he decided to try a new one and applied the disillusionment charm on himself, making himself almost invisible, like a chameleon that blends into the environment.

-¡Great!/Amazing!- said Fred and George at the same time. The class was euphoric at such a demonstration of magic.

He first disarmed Hermione so that she couldn't see where she was, then he moved quickly towards his friend who was throwing spells in various directions hoping to hit them, a couple he dodged and others he blocked. He used the protective spell but this time non-verbally, so that she couldn't hear him and realize where he was. Moving as fast as possible he managed to get behind his rival's back and with the wand pointed at her neck -Bang. You're finished, Malfoy- he said as he became visible again. Everyone applauded loudly.

-¿What was that? "¿Bang"?-

-A Muggle expression, I'll explain later. Well, that's all for today, when they come back we can try something more advanced. Maybe the Patronus Charm- and everyone reacted with great enthusiasm and joy.

-¿Did you use the disillusionment charm and a shield non-verbally? Not bad, Potter, although aiming at someone in the back doesn't seem very noble.

-I'm from Slytherin, we have a reputation to keep- he joked and his friend smiled too. While they were leaving Harry finished setting up and cleaning the place. He noticed Cho motioning for her friend to leave alone. When they were alone she praised him saying that he was a great teacher and that she wished Cedric had known about those spells, maybe then he would still be alive.

-Cedric was a great student and also a good colleague. But he wouldn't be any good fighting Voldemort- he replied. He didn't know how to start a conversation with she without bringing up the boy. The girl slowly approached him, his face was very close to her and Harry feel that his heart was going to jump out of her chest.

-I really like you Harry- she told him and immediately she kissed him. At first he was surprised by her gesture, plus it was her first time. First it was a small kiss and then it was longer. Harry wished he could freeze that moment forever.

---

-So...did something interesting happen after we left?- Hermione asked and Harry blushed.¡I knew it! She kissed you-

-¿And how was it?-

-Well, it was kind of strange, because we were kissing but then she started crying-

-¿Are you a bad kisser?- the blonde asked, surprised and laughing.

-¡No! Well... I don't know- he said, embarrassed and beginning to think that maybe it was like that. His friend explained to him that the reason Cho behaved like that is because she felt guilty since she used to like Cedric and now she likes Harry and feels that she would be dishonoring the former's memory by being with him, as if he were. to replace. In addition to the fact that lately he was playing Quidditch poorly, adding to the pressure for the OWLs that were coming up.

-She carries a lot of things.

-There should be a book that explains the mind of girls. It would be more useful than divination or History of Magic-

That night he dreamed about the hallway again, this time he was crawling on the floor but without problems, his body was stronger and more flexible, he noticed the essence of a man hidden in a cloak, he wanted to bite him but he had more important things and when the subject He noticed his presence and took out his wand. Having no choice, he attacked him. Once, twice, three times, his blood gushed everywhere, he could smell it, taste it through his fangs. His head hurt so much, he wanted to wake up.

-¡Potter!-And the scream of his friend brought him back to reality. When he woke up he was drenched in sweat and couldn't contain that swirl inside his stomach and vomited next to the bed. He bolted looking for the Head of House, telling him that he had a dream in which Ginny's father had been attacked. He went with Draco to the headmaster's office and told him about his dream.

-¿As you saw? ¿Were you next to it or did you see it from above? -He asked. It was as if he knew exactly what had happened. Harry explained that he was the snake. The headmaster began to give instructions to the people who were in the paintings to go to the Ministry and notify that Arthur Weasley had been attacked, while he called the vice headmistress to notify the other members of the family about the situation of his father, at all times he barely looked him in the eyes. Harry felt a lot of anger and a strong desire to sink his teeth into it, like the snake in his dream.

-They will go to Grimmauld Place, everyone has used a portkey before. It's safer than the Floo Network, since at this moment the chimneys are being watched, Sirius is waiting for them there. When they arrived, Sirius had to explain to the twins that they couldn't go to St. Mungo's Hospital yet because they would end up exposing the situation of the Order , as much as everyone wanted to go see him, they could only wait, even if it was painful.

-Sirius ¿Can I talk to you? -And while the others waited for news from her mother, they went to another room where she told them about that impulse she had had before leaving school.

-It must be a sequel to the dream, nothing more-

-I feel so much anger inside me, as if there was something evil trying to get out ¿What if I'm becoming like Voldemort?-

-¡Never say that Harry! You are a good person, who has had to endure many bad things. Never compare yourself to that monster ¿Do you think Voldemort would selflessly risk his life for others like you have done so many times? ¿Befriending muggle-borns and half-giants? We all have some good and evil inside. The world is not divided between good people and Death Eaters. You are a good boy, worthy son of James and Lily Potter, never forget that- he replied, smiling and giving him a hug, which made him feel much better.

Around five in the morning they had news, Mr. Weasley was serious but he would improve and he was out of danger. Later they went to visit him. Despite the bandages, he assured them that he felt fine and that he would be able to return home if it weren't for the problem that they couldn't get the wounds to close, there was a strange poison in the snake's bite that caused blood to continue coming out, so he had to drink a potion that would restore his blood, but they would find the solution.

-I'm afraid we'll have to spend Christmas at Sirius's. I hope he doesn't mind- Mrs. Weasley commented.

-I'm sure he'll be glad there are more people there- said Harry, who knew how bored and frustrated he must feel being locked up, only with Kreacher and Buckbeak, the hippogriff.

-Well, I think that's enough for today. We better go back. We'll come see you when you're better, Arthur- his wife told him and they said goodbye to the man who was almost all bandaged.

---

On Christmas morning Harry and Draco woke up with several gifts. Harry was given several Defense and Hexes books that he couldn't wait to read, photographs of his parents, his friend was given a compass for his broom and a new Quidditch keeper outfit in Slytherin colors, along with a book of plays and game strategies. Plus Mrs. Weasley's classic hand-knit sweater, with a gold "D" in the middle.

-It looks good on you- he told him.

-Everything suits me well. The gift and the curse of being so good-looking- he responded, smiling as she looked in the mirror.

-¿What do you have there?-

-A couple of gifts I bought by mail. I asked the house elf to do it without my father knowing that I take money from his vault - and he showed him a pair of perfumes and a silk scarf that had the names of Hermione, Ginny and Mrs. Weasley, next to a board brand new chess game with the name Ron.

-¿Now you give gifts to the Weasleys with your father's money? ¡This day he gets better and better!-

-I only did it to repay his mother's kindness, and because I got bored of beating Weasley at chess on that old board- he replied, blushing.

"Yeah right, keep telling yourself that" Harry thought. When they returned to the hospital to visit Mr. Weasley they had to run when they heard his wife's screams. Apparently he had experimented with Muggle techniques, tried to sew up the wounds, obviously without success.

-Muggle medicine...dad is crazy-

-They work well with normal wounds, but I imagine they are useless with these ¿Isn't that Neville?- Hermione asked. The boy was surprised when he saw them, Harry knew why he was there but he couldn't tell the others.

-¿Are they your friends Neville?- asked his grandmother -Ahh you are Harry Potter of course, my grandson always speaks well of you, he said that you are the first Slytherin who has treated him well and he also often mentions his classmate Hermione Granger. He said that you are very smart and that you always help him at school- she said and the boy lowered his head.

-Neville has improved a lot with DCAO, and he is also very good with herbology. Thanks to his smart idea I was able to pass the second test in the Triwizard Tournament last year-

-I didn't know. I only find out when I get the school reports-

-¿Are your parents sick?- Ron asked when he saw his father lying down and his mother walking aimlessly.

-¿What?! ¿Haven't you told them about your parents? ¡They didn't give their health and sanity so you be ashamed of them!- The woman shouted and her grandmother told them that they were tortured by Death Eaters until they were in that state forever. Hermione, Malfoy and Ron were surprised. The boy was sad and he felt bad now his friend had discovered the condition of his parents.

-I'm so sorry, Neville- Hermione told him.

Harry approached him and placed his hand on his shoulder -Your parents were very brave people who fought against Voldemort and his followers and never gave in. You should be proud of them. They were heroes-

-I always tell him. But don't listen, listen to your friend Neville. Frank and Alice were exceptional magicians and you have nothing to be ashamed of, quite the opposite - the woman told him.

-I'm not ashamed, it's just that...I thought that...-

-¿What? ¿Did you think we would treat you differently? You're still the same Neville to us-

-You have good friends Neville- the lady replied. The boy smiled shyly, it was the first time his grandmother gave him a compliment.

-We leave you alone with them. "We'll see you at school, nice, ma'am," Harry told her.

-Poor Neville. I had no idea-

-Me neither-

-Neither did I, I knew that Bellatrix Lestrange was in Azkaban because my mother told me. But she didn't want to give me many details.

-I knew it- Harry replied. And he told them what he saw in the director's Pensieve as they returned.

---

The last day of vacation was approaching, which was more noticeable on Sirius's face, now that he would be alone again with the only company of Kreacher and Buckbeak. Sometimes he would lock himself in the room with the hippogriff for hours, Harry felt bad for him but there was nothing they could do. At that moment Mrs. Weasley called him saying that Professor Snape was there and he wanted to talk to him and was waiting for him in the room near the hallway where the Black family tree was.

-Sit down Potter-

-I would prefer that you not give him orders. It's my house- said his godfather.

-It's okay Sirius ¿Is something wrong sir?-

-The director wants you to learn Occlumency, a branch of magic considered "dark" but useful-

-¿What is it for?-

-To improve a person's mental defenses. A wizard gifted with legilimency like the Dark Lord or Professor Dumbledore can know what someone is thinking and only those capable of closing their mind with Occlumency can hide their thoughts and intentions.

-"So that's why the headmaster always seems to know what's going on in my head or he senses that I'm hiding something from him. That magic will be useful to me" Harry thought -I understand-

-¿And who will teach him?- Sirius asked.

-Me-

-¿And why can't he teach him Dumbledore?-

-Because he is busy with more pressing things. I assure you I didn't ask for it Black, but the advantage of being a director is that you can delegate the less pleasant tasks to the staff. If anyone asks, you will tell them that he needs help with potions classes, you can use the free time you have, now that you can no longer play Quidditch - he said almost with satisfaction - I'll expect him on Monday at six in the afternoon, be punctual-

-Yes sir-

-Wait Snivelus. I warn you: if I find out that you take advantage of those classes to bother Harry, you will have to answer to me-

-How touching, but I don't know what you're worried about Black. Potter is just like his father-

-¡Of course! -He replied almost proudly.

-Then you know that anything I say to him just bounces off of his enormous ego- and at that comment Sirius stood up from his seat angry at the mention of his friend. The two adults began to throw comments and accusations at each other, things were going to get worse and when he saw that they both took out their wands, Harry had to intervene by disarming them both, Sirius with his wand and Snape with his own magic, but surreptitiously so that he wouldn't be caught notice.

-¡Enough, both of you!-

-¿Harry, are you... are you on his side?- Sirius asked, surprised.

-¡I am on the side of the Order! We need all the help we can get ¿Do you know of anyone else who can teach me Occlumency or advanced potions, like the wolf-killing potion Lupin needs every month? Because I do not. I endured Umbridge's punishments, so I can endure private lessons with Professor Snape- he said as he returned his wand and then turned to the other man, who had grabbed his from the floor. And as for you, Professor ¿What happened with that of not letting yourself be dominated by emotions? Its supposed that I AM the teenager and you're the responsible adult-

Both adults were stunned by those comments. Sirius for seeing how Harry praised Snape's qualities and the other because, for the first time, he had given in to a provocation and Potter was absolutely right to reproach him. The silence was broken by the laughter that came from Sirius's mother, who had witnessed the entire scene and applauded Harry's actions -¡Bravo boy! It's about time someone put them in their place!-

---

When they returned to school they ran into some ED students, asking when the next class would be, Harry told them that he had private classes with Snape. Zacharias Smith asked him how bad it must be since the man didn't usually give extra lessons.

-¿Do you want me to cast a spell on him? I can hit it from here- Ron commented, pointing his wand at him as he walked away from him.

-¿Attack from behind? I didn't think the Griffindors did that- said Malfoy -I bet you love bossing the younger ones around now that you're a prefect. It feels good ¿Doesn't it? Have the authority and power-

-Yes...¡I mean No! That is to say...- and at the babbling of his friend Harry couldn't help but smile. Both Draco and Ron looked a lot alike, and the funniest thing was that neither of them was able to admit it. When he crossed paths with Cho she timidly asked him if they wanted to go out on the next outing to Hogsmeade, taking advantage of Valentine's Day, she happily accepted and Harry was just as excited.

It was almost six in the afternoon and she was arriving where Snape was waiting for her. It was the first time that he was not happy to learn advanced magic, but seeing the circumstances he had no choice. Once inside he explained to her again about Occlumency and its counterpart Legilimency and how both branches worked.

-¿Can you know what I am thinking or feeling now sir?-

-I doubt it, time and distance are important factors, as is eye contact. The closer, the better it works, but also when the mind is vulnerable and emotions are easy to read, such as when one is asleep. It is crucial that you learn to close your mind - As Harry responded he noticed that he took a memory out of his head with his wand and placed it in the pensieve.

-¿But wouldn't that be a waste? It's not that I like having those dreams, but they have been useful, if it weren't for them Mr. Weasley could have died-

-Until now you have visited the mind of the dark lord from your perspective, you saw everything from the eyes of the snake because the Dark Lord was possessing her at that moment and it seems that he noticed your presence and there is also the possibility that it could be done conversely, that is, he could see your thoughts and emotions.

-And force me to do things I don't want to do?- He asked, scared but trying not to show it.

-Could be. Which brings us back to the reason for these classes. Get ready I'm going to try to penetrate your mind, you can use your wand to disarm me or defend yourself. You have already resisted the Imperius Curse, this is something similar. Now... ¡Legeremens! - and suddenly the whole place vanished and several images passed in front of him as if in a movie. First the times his cousin Dudley mistreated him, Harry seeing all the gifts and affection they gave him while he was left aside as if he were something undesirable, when he arrived at school and entered Slytherin, his fight against Riddle from the diary, the dementors, the Triwizard Tournament, and when he came to the memory of Cho's kiss he felt that he had let him see enough and tried to repel the invader in his head.

"You're not going to see that, it's private, just like the AD" and he tried to concentrate to regain control. Then he was back in the office with the adult in front of him.

-Not bad, for the first attempt it was not a complete disaster. You must repel me with your brain, so you won't need to use your wand. Again Legeremens! -The images returned before him, a great dragon approached, his parents greeting him in the mirror of Erised, Cedric lay dead in front of his eyes...

-¡NOOO!-And he was back in the office, kneeling in front of his teacher.

-¡Get up!¡ Empty your mind! Otherwise you will be easy prey for the dark lord. Those who expose their emotions with pride, those who get carried away by their impulses and fall into provocations, or wallow in sad memories and self-pity are weak people.

-¡I'm not weak!-

-Then prove it to me. Again- and this time they were going through some memories of Harry again. At the end he saw Mr. Weasley again and that hallway that he had seen so many times in his dream and suddenly a spark lit in his mind.

-¡That's it!- His head shouted and it seemed that the adult had heard it too.

-¿What's wrong, Potter?- and Harry asked him about the department of mysteries and what's there. At that the man seemed to turn pale, but he tried not to show it.

-There are many things in the department of mysteries, Potter, few of which he would be able to understand and none of which are any of his concern- he replied. But Harry knew that whatever was there was what Voldemort was looking for so badly. For a moment he was relieved as he had considered the idea that he was the weapon and that it was trying to lead him to the dark side, but now he was sure that the department of mysteries and its contents was the real target -That's enough for today, Wednesday. At the same time, empty your mind before going to sleep and free it of all emotions ¿Understand? -

-Yes-

-Yes "sir" and be careful, if you don't practice I will know-

-Understood sir- and before leaving he saw how Snape took memories out of the pensieve and placed them back in his head. When he was on his way to the Great Hall he saw the Weasley twins selling hats enchanted to make the head part invisible, making it look like they had been decapitated, which he had to admit was funny. Suddenly his scar began to hurt, he felt dizzy and a loud laugh was heard in his head.

-¿Harry, are you okay?- his friends asked him when they saw him staggering.

-It's Voldemort...he's happy...very happy-

-Your defenses must be low from practicing Occlumency with Professor Snape so much. "You should go rest-

-Yes, it will be the best- he felt so tired and wanted to sleep for a whole week. When he got to his room he barely laid his head on the pillow everything went dark.

---

The next day they read through "The Daily Prophet" that there was a mass escape from Azkaban, the prison of wizards and the worst thing is that the Ministry accused Sirius of having contributed, because he had managed to escape from there before and that due to Bellatrix Lestrange's relationship he had gone to help his cousin, which could not be more wrong and infuriated him. He could see Neville with a deeply angry face and he stood outside. He assumed that he would go prepare for the next ED class.

-That damn coward Fudge-

-¿What did you expect? What would he come out and say "I'm sorry, Dumbledore was right about Voldemort's return, the Dementors have joined him and now we must prepare to fight"? - Hermione commented. She asked him if he could meet her later after her date with Cho, Harry replied that he would do his best.

-Oh no, poor Hagrid- said Ginny who had appeared with Daphne.

-¿What's going on?-

-We found out that he is on probation, that horrible Umbridge will take advantage of any excuse to fire him-

-At least he can continue being a ranger. I would worry more about Trelawney, that woman's days are numbered- Draco commented.

Valentine's Day had finally arrived, he met Cho near Hogsmeade. With a wave of his wand he made a bouquet of flowers appear, he thought it was a silly spell, but Malfoy had told him that it is a detail that girls like and apparently he had been right. At first everything seemed to be going well, the problem was when the Parkinson girl passed by and made fun of them saying that at least Diggory was handsome compared to him and that she could get a better one.

-¿What's wrong Parkinson's? ¿Angry because Malfoy didn't ask you out?- He replied and the girl left with red cheeks. After going for coffee, they talked about Quidditch and the first time they competed between their houses. Things went downhill when she started talking about Cedric and asked him if he mentioned her before he died, Harry didn't want to keep talking about it.

-I thought... you would understand... that you would want to talk about it... you were there- he said almost sobbing.

-I already did it, with Draco and Hermione and also Ron-

-Oh I see, you can talk to Hermione Granger, and you just told me that you're going to see her later ¿And then who else? ¿With my partner Daphne? -

-¿What?" He asked, almost laughing at the absurdity of the question and then he realized that he shouldn't have done that. The girl left there, leaving him alone in front of everyone, who had witnessed the scene and was watching him.

-¿Hard date?- asked Madame Rosmerta.

-The Triwizard tournament was easier than understanding the girls- and the woman laughed and gave him a heart-shaped chocolate gift. When he met his friend, he saw that she was with the woman he liked the least: Rita Skeeter.

-¿What is she doing here?-

-Miss Prefect was about to tell me when you arrived-

-I made a deal with her, I let her get out of her bottle and resume her life in exchange for publishing an article giving your version of what happened. The true story, all the facts and names of those who were there that night-

-The Daily Prophet will not publish something that makes Harry look good and contradicts the things Fudge has been saying. He goes against the mood of the people and too many are already low on morale due to the escape from Azkaban, the last thing they need is to be told that the Nameless One has returned-

-So ¿"The Daily Prophet" only exists to say what people want to hear?-

-Exists to sell himself, silly girl- replied the woman who had already taken out her magic pen to take notes.

-¿And what about my dad's newspaper?- Luna asked as she had joined the conversation.

-¿Do you think anyone will take seriously what that second-rate newspaper publishes?-

-Not all, but some yes. Also I think that a story told by the great Harry Potter could raise his popularity - Hermione commented.

-¿And what will I receive in exchange for that article?-

-How about not being reported for being an illegal Animagus? If you don't like it, you could write a note in "The Daily Prophet" about what the quality of life is like inside an Azkaban cell," Hermione replied. The woman looked at her with contempt but she had no choice but to remain silent and accept the terms. Harry was amazed at what Hermione was capable of when she proposed to him.

-¿Are you sure about this Hermione?-

-Of course, the last thing Voldemort wants is for the world to know about his return, you can't go around trying to convince one person at a time. You have to give a strong and long message, look at everything Fudge achieved by spreading lies about you and Dumbledore- she responded and with that logic, Harry had to admit that it was a great idea. The more people knew the truth, the more they could ruin his enemy's plans to remain hidden, even if only a few believed him, he had to try.

-Okay. Let's start - and the woman had already drunk her glass of Fire Whiskey and prepared to start the interview.

-Dad is going to love it- Luna said smiling.

---

The next day some students were in the dining room finishing breakfast and others had already left or were watching some of the spells that the twins were trying to sell taking advantage of the fact that the teachers had left to prepare to teach classes. Hermione stood up from her seat and motioned for him to come to her and showed him a cylinder that her owl had brought him. Was copy of the interview, and on the cover in big red letters it appeared:

"FINALLY HARRY POTTER SPEAKS PUBLICLY:

THE TRUTH ABOUT HE WHO SHOULD NOT BE NAMED AND THE NIGHT THAT SAW HIM RETURN"

-By now thousands of copies must have been sent and being read by everyone- After a few minutes several students had started reading the magazine, either because they bought it or the twins gave them a copy as a gift in exchange for buying your merchandise.

-¿Is he a half-blood? ¿So all that hating Muggles is because of his father who abandoned him- said Malfoy, surprised, finishing reading the note.

Harry had not only talked about the night he had returned, also about Voldemort's secrets. When Skeeter asked him about the similarities they had, such as Parseltongue and being a member of Slytherin house, Harry mentioned that although they were very similar he would never hurt innocents and also he was proud of his half-blood lineage. Either of his father's pure blood or his Muggle mother's, unlike him who hated his non-wizard father for abandoning him. He stated that he did not care about the status of others, whether pureblood like Malfoy, or Muggleborns like Hermione, who claimed that she was his best friend and the smartest witch he had ever met.

He noticed that Draco wasn't the only one in his house who was surprised. Several of his colleagues were wide-eyed reading the note. Very few knew about the hidden shame about Voldemort's lineage. Only Dumbledore knew, being his teacher and knowing him since he was a child, and Harry because he himself had told him so on more than one occasion, probably because he didn't think he would come out alive and his secret would be safe.

-Soon you will receive hundreds of letters from people giving his point of view-

-I doubt that anybody would even want to pay to read what a crazy child says that...-and at that moment several owls entered through the window and went towards him, leaving him a few letters.

-It seems that some people have already read it. There are many, we can help you answer them-

-Go ahead- he replied. Some were people telling him that he was as crazy as the headmaster and that they should both be locked up in St. Mungo's, another telling him that he was a maniac who tarnished the memory of those who died during the previous war by using it as an excuse to be noticed. As if he didn't know firsthand the lives that were lost at that time and that the wounds still hurt.

-This person says that he believes you. That he now thinks that "The Daily Prophet" has treated you badly and that he will always believe Dumbledore. One more ally-

-Look at this young man, he is one of the Quidditch players of the "Ballycastle Bats", he also says that he believes you. His grandparents died at the hands of the Death Eaters and he is willing to fight at your side to help return all the escapees to Azkaban. You are already adding more people to your cause-

Malfoy opened a pink envelope -This girl says that she believes you, that you are a true hero and that she would like to be your partner against the dark forces. She sent you a photograph of her... ¡Interesting! -He commented, raising his eyebrows and showing it to Ron.

-It's a shame she's not at school so we could add her to the AD ¿Why not to the Order?- Ron asked excitedly, looking at the image more closely.

-I agree- the blonde replied, smiling. Hermione looked at them disapprovingly.

-They are all the same- commented Ginny who appeared and when they saw her they kept the photograph of her so that she wouldn't see it. The fun was interrupted by Umbridge who had gone to check why Harry was receiving so much mail. When Harry told him that they were just letters from people giving his opinion on an interview he had given, he took the magazine from Mr. Lovegood's newspaper and the expression on his face stiffened greatly.

-¿How could you? I thought you got it, clearly you still don't get the message. You won't be able to go back to Hogsmeade, fifty point less for Slytherin and another week of punishment - and she left there quickly. And a few seconds later she make that Filch post a decree prohibiting students from possessing any copy of that newspaper under penalty of expulsion and that teachers were prohibited from talking about topics unrelated to teaching.

-How silly, banning it only makes more people want to read it- Hermione said and she was right. Although Umbridge checked the books and notes to make sure no one had a copy of the Quibbler, the students were smarter and enchanted the pages containing Harry's interview to look like notes or text material.

Although the teachers, were prohibited from mentioning the subject by order of the new decree, during their classes they took advantage of any excuse to give Harry extra points. In Flitwick's class, when the little man mentioned the Grubait spell again, Harry commented that it could be done with both fire and ice.

-Exactly, some elemental spells can be altered to change from one state to another, but it takes a lot of magic and practice ¿How do you know, Mr. Potter?

And in response to that question, he demonstrated to everyone by enchanting a piece of wood that they had on hand, just as he had done with his friend's shelter, leaving the object completely frozen but without drops falling or melting when it came into contact with the temperature of the environment. The man jumped out of his seat extremely surprised at such a demonstration and gave his house 40 points, which made up for the ones that Umbridge had taken from him that morning. In Herbology, Professor Sprout gave him twenty points just because he had handed her a watering can.

-What you did Potter was very noble. Honored the memory of Cedric Diggory- the woman said, placing her hand on her shoulder. He assumed she was referring to the paragraph where he said that he was not proud of being declared champion of the Tournament, that was the right of his rival from Hufflepuff House. Cedric had been a good companion, who wanted to share the cup with him and that his death would not be forgotten.

Cho approached him, her eyes were wet, she told him that she had read the interview and that he was very brave for everything he had had to face, she gave him a kiss on the cheek and ran out of there.

-Women are crazy- Ron commented.

-¡Potter! ¡Come here immediately!- said Snape, who had gone to look for him. And when they were alone the man seemed almost pale.

-¿Are you aware of what you has done?-

-If you talks about the interview, I don't see what the problem is. The ministry cannot come out and deny it otherwise they would have to admit that they have read the newspaper and if they censor it, they will only make more publicity for me-

-¿And all that about the dark lord's Muggle father? Even if it's all true, you directly provoked him. You has no idea about the storm you has just unleashed-

-Of course I know, now everyone knows his dirty little secret. More than one will begin to question his loyalty and that will fill him with anger and hatred, leaving him susceptible and more prone to making mistakes ¿Isn't that what you have taught me? That a person who lets himself be carried away by his emotions is weak - And in response to that response the adult had nothing to reproach him for.

-Better retire. Enjoy his little moment of glory, it will soon be over. I will see him tomorrow and for his sake I hope that you has practiced Occlumency, ¿Understood? -

-Yes sir- he replied.

-Potter...- he said before he left through the door -Ten points for Slytherin, for having used your brain cleverly, for the first, and probably, last time- and with a wave of his wand he made the door close in his face.

Harry couldn't believe it, he couldn't remember the last time his Head of House had awarded him points for something he had done. Generally he only did it with his housemates. At that moment the scar began to burn enormously, it was as if a piece of hot iron had been placed on his head, he felt so much anger and pain that he almost brought tears to his eyes. As he passed by he started smiling from ear to ear -¿What's wrong Tom? ¿Are you in a bad mood because everyone knows who you really are? -He said to himself.

---

Harry was on his way to the address. If only he had postponed class for another day or they had finished earlier, things would have been so different. But unfortunately life does not always go as one plans. Once the gargoyle moved away from the entrance, he walked through the door and there they were: Minister Cornelius Fudge, a couple of Aurors, Percy Weasley, who was taking notes, Deputy Headmistress McGonagall, and Albus Dumbledore.

-¿Well, Potter? ¿Anything he has to tell us?- Fudge said and Harry looked at him with a defiant attitude.

-I...-

FIFTEEN MINUTES BEFORE

The DA´s classes were going great, Harry had kept his word and started teaching them how to perform the Patronus Charm. The theory was easy to explain, the complicated thing was that they could do it, but between the second and third class he began to see great progress, instead of silver smoke, some managed to summon corporeal animals.

Hermione was the first to do it perfectly and an otter came out of her wand, Luna Loveggod's was a rabbit that made small jumps, the twins had a pair of magpies that flew around the room, Ron's was a dog, Ginny a horse and Daphne conjured a small but very energetic bear.
Malfoy and Neville were the ones who had the most problems. Harry told them that anger and frustration would only make it more difficult, that it was better to think about the happiest memory they had.

-Try thinking about my brother falling off his broom because he got hit by a Bludger if that helps- Ginny said to Malfoy and the blonde smiled. He concentrated for a few seconds and after pronouncing the spell, a huge peacock emerged from his wand and opened its feathers in a majestic tone.

-¡Excellent! Neville your turn-

The boy was about to make another attempt but was interrupted by Dobby, the elf, who appeared there to warn Harry that they were in trouble. He couldn't be direct due to his nature and loyalty to the school and teachers, but despite his babbling and hints Harry understood what he wanted to say.

-Umbridge...¡The teacher is comming! ¡EVERYONE GET OUT OF HERE!-He shouted, and they began to head towards the door but it was already too late. They were ambushed by the teacher and other students who were wearing insignia of the "Inquisitorial Brigade," the only group association authorized by the woman, which was in charge of giving her reports about the behavior of those who did not follow her decrees.

-Well like this little party is over-Umbridge said in a sweet voice -I've already sent an owl to the Minister and he's coming here. He will be very pleased to hear some explanations Mr. Potter-

---

PRESENT

-¿Well, Mr. Potter? I imagine you already knows why you are here. You and your companions had an illegal meeting that went against the decree of the Supreme Inquisitor and learned magic classified as inappropriate for students of your age-

-Here is my witness Mr. Minister- and Cho's friend, Marrieta, appeared. She was shaking, looking at the ground and sobbing. He thought it was remorse for having betrayed them, but then they saw her face and everyone was surprised to see the letters written clearly, from one cheek through the nose to the other end: "SNEAK"

-¡By Merlin's beard! Can't that be removed?

-I've tried everything but it doesn't matter, I'm sure it will happen soon- the woman said. Although the girl admitted that there was a meeting that saturday on that tavern, she did not mention the others again, probably because she was afraid that another mark would appear on her face. But despite that the woman insisted she didn't get more answers. Umbridge got frustrated and then took out a scroll where she clearly saw herself in the "AD" (Dumbledore's Army) paper.

-Well, I guess there's no point denying it anymore- said the director.

-¿What?- Fudge asked.

-It says clearly: Dumbledore's army, not Potter's-

-¿So it's true? ¡You have been putting together a subversive group with your students to conspire against me! -He said surprised.

-That's true. Today would be our first meeting-

-¡No! It was all my idea and no one else's- he bellowed worriedly.

-What you are trying to do is very noble, Harry. But I can't let you take the blame for my mistakes. Yes, I planned everything-

-Well, well. I thought I was coming to expel Potter for violating the Inquisitorial decree and it turns out that he was just a pawn following your orders-

-Well, if you knew him you would know that he is not very good at following orders or rules, he is just like his father. But yes, he was just a student following directions, and under pressure I must add, since I told him that if he didn't use his famous status to help me recruit students he would have problems - the old man lied. Harry didn't understand how he could be defending him after they were going to arrest him because of his fault, but when he noticed him so calm in the face of that situation a spark lit in his head.

-"You have a plan, don't you, professor?"- His head said and he thought he saw the man wink at him.

-¿Did you take note of everything, Weasley?He said to Percy, who had not stopped at any time.

-Yes sir minister-

-Perfect, notify Azkaban, he will be arrested on charges of treason, conspiracy and sedition-

-Ah yes, I assumed we would have that problem. You think I will go without resisting, the truth is that I could escape from there without a problem but I have more pressing things right now-

-¿Do you intend to fight Dawslish, Shacklebolt, Dolores and myself without anyone's help? Is that so, Dumbledore?

-No, unless they are foolish enough to try ¡No Minerva! Hogwarts needs her more than me- he said to the vice-principal who looked like she was going to take her wand out. And after a few seconds hundreds of sparks came out of the wands followed by a huge explosion. Fortunately, Professor McGonagall grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him back so that he would not be hurt. When the smoke cleared she saw the Minister and his followers unconscious on the ground and the Phoenix spinning in circles above them, she assumed it was to keep them that way.

-I'm sorry I had to attack Shacklebolt too, but otherwise they would suspect him of being on our side and it would ruin his cover-

-¿What will you do now Albus? ¿Are you going to Grimmauld Place?

-I'm not going to hide Minerva. Fudge will soon wish he'd never evicted me from Hogwarts, I promise-

-Professor...I'm sorry I got you into trouble. It was a stupid idea to put his name on the scroll, we wanted to say that we were on your side-

-And it was a great gesture of loyalty from you, really. I must go, remember to practice Occlumency as much as you can and follow Professor Snape's instructions. It's the only way you protect your mind from bad dreams - and he began to feel a wave of pain in his scar, and a strong urge to sink his fangs into him like Voldemort's snake did to Mr. Weasley. The director put a hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eyes -You'll understand- and the Phoenix left the circle flying towards its owner and when he raised his hands grabbing the back of the bird, both disappeared in flames.

The other adults began to get back up and come out of their lethargy-¿Where is he?- Fudge bellowed furiously -¿Where did he go?!-

-¡I don't know! -Kingsley responded -He disappeared!-

-It's impossible to disappear inside this place- said Umbridge.

-¡The stairs!- said the other auror named Dawslish. And he ran there, accompanied by the woman, and then they disappeared. Fudge, Percy, and the auror stood looking at each other in silence for a moment.

-Well, I think Potter can go. Since the director confessed that he only followed his orders because he had him under threats - said the dark-skinned man in a purple robe.

-It is the end of Dumbledore Minerva and as for you Potter... I am now busy with the headmaster, or should I say "ex-headmaster". But if you do your thing again you will be expelled and he will no longer be there to protect you, since he will be locked up in a dark and tiny cell in Azkaban - and at that threat Harry smiled - ¿Did I say something funny? -

-Oh no, quite the opposite. I just admire your optimism. The only man capable of making Voldemort himself afraid of him ¿And you intend to go after him? I would not do it. Remember what happened with the famous dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald-

The adult seemed intimidated for a second but then composed himself -¿Do you idolize him so much that you studied the history of his life?-

-Nah, I only read it on the card that came with my chocolate frog- he responded, taking the collectible figurine out of his pocket and leaving it on the table. -I'm giving it to you, maybe you need to remember who you intend to fight against and it would be better if you focused your efforts to go against the real enemy. Good morning - and he left there.

As he walked down the stairs he heard Phineas Nigellus, Sirius's great-great-uncle, speaking from his room - ¿Do you know something, Minister? I disagreed with Dumbledore on many things, but you can't deny that he and Potter have style-

---

The next day Dolores Umbridge was appointed headmistress of the school as well as Supreme Inquisitor. The news had reached everywhere. The animosity and morale of the students were at rock bottom at that and the fact that Harry and Cho had fought again didn't help either. She complained about what Hermione did to her best friend, who still had the word "SNEAK" written in red pimples on her face and was trying, in vain, to cover them with a balaclava and kilos of makeup.

Cho tried to persuade Harry to ask Hermione to remove the curse but Harry refused -She ratted us out to Umbridge, caused Dumbledore to be labeled a criminal and had to flee to avoid ending up in Azkaban ¿And you want me to feel sorry for her? I'm sorry, but no- and when he refused, she left furious.

-Sorry mate- Ron told him -I don't think she want to go on another date-

-Okay, now I will have more time to practice Occlumency-

-And what about the AD?-

-We will no longer be able to continue meeting. But we can practice separately, I have written down some instructions and recommendations in the Multipurpose room. Umbridge's decree prohibits gatherings of more than three students, so we'll have to split up. I'll go with Neville, then Ron with Hermione, Luna with Daphne and Ginny with Draco, try to coordinate a time so that you don't cross each other.

-I'm ready Harry, let's go- his partner told him.

-Ginny and I will be practicing Quidditch. It will be less suspicious if we spread out and do different activities-

-We will be in the library doing homework- the Griffindor finished.

-Well, see you later- and everyone went in different directions.

After a few hours Harry and his partner were leaving the training site. He had noticed a big change in Neville. The classes had caused him to improve not only his defensive skills, but he was beginning to have more confidence in himself. And he was no longer ashamed that his parents were in St. Mungo's, quite the opposite, which was what his grandmother had tried to instill in him for a long time.

-The Lestranges will return to Azkaban. I promise you- Harry told him and his friend nodded and thanked him for everything. When he returned through the hallways he saw the Weasley twins comforting a crying Griffindor boy, from the looks of him he seems like he was a first or second grader. He thought that he had had a bad experience with the toys they sold, but as he got closer, he saw him rubbing his arm, where the phrase "I should not tell lies" was clearly visible, just like the one he had. Harry motioned for them to step aside and let him sit next to him.

-¿What happened?- He asked, trying to remain calm in the face of such an act of cruelty, so as not to scare him more than he already was.

-He said that the Ministry should be hunting down Death Eaters instead of going after Dumbledore. And that the return of the Unspeakable One was undeniable- said Fred.

-Which is the honest truth- George added.

He took out of his enchanted bag a container with a cream that was used for wounds and scars, which he had been using after each session with Umbridge, and offered it to the boy to relieve his pain -You were very brave, to tell the truth and also for enduring that punishment. Godric Griffindor would have been proud of you. Don't let her intimidate you, just keep your head down and stay out of trouble. Things will get better, I assure you- he told him, winking. The boy smiled.

-My parents believe you. We will always support you and also the great Dumbledore- After thanking him for his loyalty, he headed towards Snape's office.

-Take a seat Potter, I hope he has practiced Occlumency- and when he was about to cast the spell on him to check his mental defenses, he was interrupted by Zabinni who had told him that Montague appeared in the bathroom on the fourth floor and was dazed. The teacher told him that they would hold the lesson for tomorrow and went to accompany the student. Harry was about to leave but he noticed the pensieve there, its contents glowing. He knew that he shouldn't get into the teacher's memories of him but curiosity was stronger and he entered.

Upon entering the pensieve he saw his teacher and the marauders taking the same exam that he would soon have in Defense. Snape looked younger but with less of the same unfriendly face. When he left the classroom, his father and his friends crossed paths with him and began to mock him and attack him without him being able to defend himself. They had him floating in the air making his underwear visible, until they were interrupted by Lily Evans, who asked them to leave him alone and that he had not done anything to them.

-It just exists- James responded with a shrug -But if you insist... you're lucky Snivellus that Evans was here- and he canceled the spell, causing young Snape to fall back onto the grass.

-I don't need the help of a disgusting impure blood like her!- He shouted humiliatedly and at that comment his mother blushed and told him that he better wash his underwear. His father cast a spell on him causing foam and soap to come out of his mouth.

-That will teach you ¿What are you saying, Evans? ¿Do you want to go on a date sometime? -He told her smiling. His mother flatly refused, saying that he was just like Snape. An arrogant bully who strutted around the school, who ruffled his hair so they would think he had gotten off the broom and who only felt revulsion and disgust at him before leaving.

-¿What's wrong with her?-

-I think he finds you a little arogant, my friend-the Sirius of the memory responded -C´mon finish with Snape. Im hungry-

Harry was surprised by what he had just witnessed -¿Are you having fun?- A voice said behind him and when he turned around he saw his teacher, looking at him with deep hatred and took him out of there.

When they were back inside the office Harry was silent, he couldn't articulate words, partly for fear of what the professor might do to him for having seen his memories without permission, and also for seeing what his father made.

-¿Your father was a charming young man, wasn't he? Very funny-

-Sir... I...- and before he could say anything he pushed him to the ground.

-¡Don't tell anyone what you've seen here!-

-¡Of course not... I...- but he didn't let him finish.

-¡Leave and never come back! ¡Your Occlumency lessons are over forever!- he shouted at him. Harry slowly got up, took his things and left without saying a word. When he was out of the classroom, he felt great pity for the way his teacher had been treated and also a strong shame at discovering that his father was, indeed, so arrogant as he had always told him.